Suction cleaner



July 5, 1932. M. F. LOWRY sucnou mama Filed Jan. 28. 1929 Millard FLO0F9 N wm Patented July 5, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE MILLARD F. LOWRY, OF NORTH CANTON, OHIO, ASS IGNOR TO THE HOOVER COMPANY,

' A CORPORATION OF OHIOv SUCTION CLEANER Application filed January 28, 1929. Serial No. 335,432.

This invention relates to suction cleaners and particularly to rotors or agitating elements for such suction cleaners. More specifically the invention relates to removable brushes for rotors, or agitating elements.

The object of the invention is to provide a rotor, or agitating element, which is revolubly mounted in the nozzle of a suction cleaner for beating a carpet, or other article, to dislodge and break up dirt which may have become embedded and matted therein, and which is provided with removable brushes recessed in the body of the rotor.

Another object is to provide a new and novel brush which may be readily secured to or detached from the rotor, and which will remain in normal operating position during operation of the suction cleaner.

And another object is to provide a demountable brush having means formed thereon for securely holding the brush in position and for permitting its easy removal from and insertion in the rotor body.

In the accompanying drawing illustrating a selected embodiment of the invention the views are as follows:

Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of the rotor with one of the brushes removed.

Figure 2 is an end view of the rotor.

Figure 3 is a transverse sectional view'on the line 33 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a detail perspective view of one of the brushes.

Referring to the drawing, 5 designates a cylindrical body portion having a recessed or grooved portion forming a pulley 6. End members 7 are connected to the ends of the cylindrical body portion 5 and are mounted for rotation on the longitudinal shaft 8. Bearings, indicated generally by the reference character 9, are arranged on each end member to permit the cylindrical body to rotate freely about the shaft 8. A belt 10 operates on the pulley 6 and is driven by an electric motor not shown) to rotate the cylindrical body. Reverse helically arranged rigid beating members 11 and 12 are secured to the cylindrical body portion as clearly shown in Figures 1 and 3. Longitudinal grooves or channels 13 are provided in the body and are arranged between the members 11 and 12 to receive the brushes 14.

Each brush 14 comprises a relatively long and narrow back 15 which is tapered at each end on its lower side as shown at 16, and has rounded ends 17. Each end. of the brush back 15 is cut away on its upper side to form reduced portions 18 and shoulders 19. A plurality of brush tufts 20 are secured to the back in a manner well known in the art.

Each groove 13. communicates with a slot or recess 21 in its inner end wall which provides a shoulder 22 which is abutted by one of the shoulders 19 on the brush back when the brush is positioned in the rotor. At the outer end wall of the reentrant portion of the rotor which forms each groove 13 is an opening 23 into which one end of the brush back is adapted to extend. The end wall above opening 23 forms a shoulder 24 against which the outer shoulder 19 on the brush bears when the brush is positioned in the rotor. A pair of springs 25 and 26 are arranged in the bottom of each groove 13 to urge the brush outwardly so that it will be securely maintained in proper operating position, and any tendency to looseness or rattling is eliminated. End plates 28 having openings 29 are carried near the ends of the shaft 8 and closely enclose the end members 7 as shown in Figures 1 and 2. The openings 29 provide a passageway for air between the end member 7 and the plate 28 so that the collection of threads and other foreign matter at the avoided. h

To position the brush in the rotor body, the inner end thereof is inserted in the groove 13 and pushed back so that the inner end portion of the brush back which is forward of the bristle tufts and including the shoulder 19 will be received in the recess or space 21. The outer end of the brush is then free to be received in the groove 13. When the brush is positioned within the groove and parallel to the longitudinal axis of the agitator its outer end maybe pushed downward and outward against the pressure of spring 26 until the reduced portion 18 at the outer end of the brush is received in the opening 23 with the shoulder 19 contacting shoulder 24.

peripheries thereof is When the outer shoulder 19 on the brush back strikes the shoulder 24, the inner shoulder of the brush back will be opposite the shoulder 22 on the rotor body and the brush is then locked in position by the springs 25 and 26, The springs 25and 26 urge the brush upwardly and keep the shoulders 19, on the brush back, against the shoulders 22 and 24 and hold the brush in proper operable and rigid position at all times. I

The invention provides a rotor of simple construction which is provided with brushes which may be easily and quickly removed from or applied to the rotor, as required. The brushes are constructed in a simple manner and can be economically manufactured.

When a brush wears out it is an easy matter to inserta new one and this may be done with ease; the services of one skilled in the art not being required. The brushes may also be provided with transverse grooves 30 to receive a tool for assisting in inserting or removing brushes from the grooves 13.

Changes may be made in the form, construction and arrangement of the parts without departing from the spirit of the invention or sacrificing any of the advantages thereof, and the right is hereby reserved to make all such changes as fairly fall within the scope of the following claims.

I claim:

1. An agitating element for suction cleaners comprising a cylindrical body provided with longitudinal grooves and with recesses at the ends of said grooves forming shoulders, a brush having shoulders on the ends thereof and received in said grooves, the shoulders on the brush abutting the shoulders on the body, and springs mounted in the bottom of the groove for urging said brushupwardly. V

2. An agitating element for suction cleaners comprising a cylindrical body having a longitudinal groove and recesses communicating therewith, a brush arranged in said groove having a back withv ends. extending into said recesses, and shoulders on each end.

of said brush back engaging a part of said body adjacent a recess, one of said recesses being larger than a brush end including the shoulder, said recess being adapted to receive a shouldered portion of said back to permit the displacement of the opposite end of said back from its recess.

said grooves and engaging said brush for maintaining the shoulders against the said bod L In combination a brush-receiving element comprising a hody having a narrow elongated groove havin end walls recessed at their bottoms, and a rush seated in said groove comprising a narrow elongated back of greater length than said roove and extending under the recessed en walls thereof and shoulders on said back abutting said walls to prevent the longitudinal movement of said brush in said groove.

5. In combination a brush-receiving element comprising a body having a narrow elongated groove having end walls provided with openin s at their bottoms, a brush having a back 0% substantially the width of said groove but of greater length positioned therein and extending through said openin spaced shoulders on said back contacting t e end walls of said groove, and resilient means urgin said back from said groove and the ends t ereof into contact with the upper surfaces of said recesses.

6. An agitator for a suction cleaner comprising a body having a groove with a recess communicating therewith, a brush comprising a back with bristles mounted therein positioned in said groove, a portion of said back extended into said recess to prevent the outward displacement of said brush from said groove, cooperating means on said back and on said body to limit thepenetration of said back in said recess so that said back is spaced from the end of said recess, second means resiliently maintainin said cooperating means in operative reationship, and thlrd means overhanging a portion of said back for the purpose of assisting said recess in preventing the outward displacement of said brush from said groove, characterized by the fact that said recess is sufliciently deep to receive a sufiicient length of said back upon said second means having been manually overcome to permit the disengagement of' said back from said third means so that said brush may be removed from its groove.

Si ed at North Canton, in the county of Star and State of Ohio, the 18th day of January, A. D. 1929.

MILLARD F. LOWRY. 

